Fulton Farm Receives National Recognition

The Fulton Farm at Wilson College received wonderful news on Sept. 25 as it was announced that it was ranked 13 out of the top 25 college farms in the U.S. according to the poll on shoutabout.org

This is not the first time that Fulton Farm has received recognition for its effort. This is the fourth time within past years that the farm has come up in various polls according to Chris Mayer, director of the Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies.

The farm is USDA certified organic as well as a third-party verified by CNG. The ranking shows that the farm is still thriving since its initial start.

“I think that the ranking is an awareness of the farm as well as Wilson College. As far as college farms go, we’ve been there since 1996. This was our 22nd season. The farm program began in 1992. So we have a very long history. Over the past 5 or 10 years, more and more colleges are getting farm programs. But, we have been doing it twice as long compared to many of them,” Mayer comments.

Students at Wilson benefit immensely by having a farm on campus. Students learn so much more than how to grow food.

“I think it’s important for people to know where their food comes from. But, I think students who take the time to explore the farm and the work that we do there get a deeper sense of what it takes to put food on the table. The folks who come and utilize the farm understand and appreciate the hard work it takes to feed others. They can learn to become self-sufficient in growing food for themselves,” Mayer states.

Mayer hopes in the future to get more students involved at the farm. Many students do not take the time to utilize the resources that the farm has to offer. There are still work study jobs available at the farm. Students and clubs may host activities and use the pavilion and the fire pit by prescheduling their events with the farm. The hope is to bring more excitement and more involvement in the future.

To learn more about the Fulton Farm and all it has to offer, students and faculty can check out their Facebook page via Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies.